There was a girl I knew once.  She was awesome.  She was pretty, funny, smart, imaginative, nice-just about perfect.  I hoped that if by some lucky chance she would give me a shot, we might fall madly in love and we’d be together for all time.  I got my chance.  For a brief time we were together and our time was as bright and wonderful as one could imagine.  But then, we had to go our separate ways.  Initially, I think I took the break-up harder than she did.  Years passed and life moved on until we were reunited further on down the road.  That perfect specimen of a girl had not aged well.  In fact she had become a shell other former self.  What she had become made me sad.  Behind her tired, worn eyes, I could see flashes of the girl I once knew, but I don’t think there was anyway to get back that time when we were both younger and more innocent.

I’ll let that analogy sink in whilst I regale you with our adventures for our last full day here in Florida.  Another bright morning dawned and we slept in yet again.  Used to be, we were the type that would arrive at rope-drop and go hard to see as much as possible early on.  Not this trip.  We made rope drop about half of our mornings here and while there was some benefit, for us, it was as nice to sleep in and get a bit of rest.  By the time we got to the latter half of the week, we felt that we had seen and done the vast majority of what we wanted to see and do, therefore we were able to tour as leisurely as possible in the masses that descended upon this place.  Last night, we asked the girls what they wanted to do and neither one of them wanted to return to the Magic Kingdom.  They wanted to head back to the Studios for another turn on the thrill rides.  Once we managed to get up  and moving, we went to Epcot to take in the countries that we hadn’t yet visited.  There were no shows to see or rides to be ridden here-just shops and apparently, bakeries.  After a couple of hours we left through the back gate, dropped our purchases at the resort and walked to the Studios.  For me, that has been one of the great benefits of staying here-the ability to walk to two parks.  In fact, I never boarded any type of transportation today and that was about the only time I wasn’t in throngs of people.

We arrived at the Studios in the mid-afternoon and the crowds were thick.  The number of folks were definitely higher than in many of my previous trips.  This was expected on some level, but I was surprised at the sheer volume this time.  About the only thing we were able to do without an inordinate wait was to hit Muppet-Vision and drop by a few shops.  Even stopping for a snack or a drink was a prolonger affair this afternoon.  The show was exactly as it was earlier this week, this decade, this century, etc.  We grabbed another pizza and then went too use our fast-pass at Star Tours.  The ride is different than in the past but largely unmemorable.  Writing this, I can barely remember the “plot” of the ride.  It was enough that the girls found it to be fun and I am glad I didn’t wait long.  On our way to ride the Rock n Roller Coaster we made our obligatory gift shop visits and waited for nana to get her next cup of coffee.  Our fast pass time approached and we got in the line.  This ride had a lengthy wait and we were able to by-pass the vast majority of it.  We all nailed the photo, except for Ethel who yet again, kept her eyes closed.  We rode it like it was the last ride of vacation, which is what it turned out to be.  We skipped our Tower of Terror ride due to a large wait between our times.  It just wasn’t worth the wait for us, so we went back to Epcot.  On our way out of the park, the girls got an ice cream cookie sandwich.  These treats were the size of a small child and managed to give them the sustenance needed for the mile walk back.

We returned to a few countries we had already experienced, bought a few gifts for folks back home, had a glass of wine, and grabbed dinner.  Epcot was really crowded when we got there, but by 8:30 or so, it had thinned out a good bit and we were able to move a bit more freely.  Nana secured a spot  on the bridge between England and France for the fireworks while the boss and I grabbed some popcorn for the group.  Illuminations was good, particularly the special “Holiday” finale.  If your children can manage to stay awake, it is definitely worth a view.  Even though we stayed essentially until close, because of the early closing time and the proximity of our resort, we were all in bed at a respectable hour.  Our last park day had ended.  I have caught up with that girl.  We spent some time together, I introduced my children to her, and we all had a few laughs together.  I am sure that our paths will cross again at some point.  I hope the next time I see her, she will have pulled herself together and regained that certain something she used to have.  I suppose that if you are just meeting her for the first time, you’d probably still be impressed.  She does have some surprises up her sleeve, but man if you had only known her back then…

Observations.

1.  My family is what made this trip fun and memorable, the location was part of it but not all of it.

2.  Walking between parks is infinitely better than Disney transportation.

3.  Expect crowds any time you come now.

4.  Guest experiences and magic are now secondary to making a buck.

5.  I am tired of seeing scooters, wheelchairs, and strollers.

6.  Fun interactions with cast members are still possible, just harder since they seem over-worked.

7.  Travel like it is the last time you will ever be in this place with these same people.  You may visit again, but it will not be the same.

8.  I am taking home a bunch of great memories.

9.  My kids still rock.

I need to clear something up.  Despite a few of the comments I have been hearing from out there, I am in fact having a good time.  I think, though, that as I become older it is not always where I am that lends itself to having fun, but who I am with.  I have enjoyed spending days with my family in an environment where we only have to think about the now.  Tomorrow will be here soon enough so let’s enjoy the day before us.  Last year the girls got a chance to create memories with their grandparents on a trip to Hawaii.  I am very glad that they are now having the same chance with my parents.  Years from now after the “stuff” purchased is long gone, after our bodies no longer ache, and after they have families of their own, they will remember this time together.  For them, Disney World is not the shell of its former self that I see.  It is still a place of excitement and fun.  We all would do well to channel that excitement and grab the memories as we can.  In a short while we’ll be back home dealing with all that life has to offer.  For today, let’s just be.

Our Thanksgiving started off bright, beautiful, and crisp.  Obviously, that meant we had nowhere to really be so we could take our time getting going.  While cooks all around America were busily prepping food for the masses to celebrate the bounty of the past year, our crew was in pajamas ordering room service.  I’m not normally a big room service kinda guy, but heck why not?  We mauled the spread before us, omelets, benedicts, french toast, eggs, mimosas, coffee-Thanksgiving was off to a great start.  Our only plans for today were to head to the Animal Kingdom for our late afternoon/evening fast passes.  So around 11:30 we lazily left our hotel and bused over.  A nice walk through the animal habitats and a few shops led us to the Finding Nemo show.  The theater was packed and the show was just ok.  The costuming was nice and the actors were talented but I just think that unless you have small children (like under 6) you could probably miss this one for something else.  But I guess knowing your family is important in that consideration.

Speaking of knowing your family-we next took in “It’s Tough to be a Bug”.  This is a fun show with great effects.  It is vital that you are fully aware of your children’s fears and yours as well.  If creepy crawly things freak you out-go elsewhere.  I would recommend it though if you like cool effects with a dose of ugh thrown in for good measure.  Lunchtime!  I can smell it now.  Mom’s turkey.  The best part is that after Thanksgiving we can have turkey stew, turkey sandwiches, turkey hash…but not this year (Bumpeses!!!)  Nope.  This year we dined at The Flame Tree and had traditional Thanksgiving barbecue.  They were serving a traditional turkey dinner that looked good and the boss had it.  She deemed it turkey-riffc and said that there was just enough of everything.  Lucy tore into ribs, Ethel some chicken, and after lengthly discussions with the manager, I settled on the pork sandwich.  All food was good and provide the needed sustenance to head over for our last ride on the safari.  Our driver this time was much smoother but there we were few animals.  They must have worked their shift and per union rules were off the clock.  I imagine it like those old cartoons with the coyote and the sheepdog-“nite Fred..”  I wonder if they clock out with their own animal sized magic-bands?  We had a little time to kill before our Dinosaur fast pass so we went to Dino-Rama and rode the two rides there.  Both were fun and though cheesy, it was a good way to pass the hour before our ride.  We had a moment or two left so we encouraged the girls to play in the Boneyard for a minute.  Traveling with a middle-schooler is interesting.  One second, she is taking pictures of herself with her phone, the next she is chasing her little sister on a playground.  These are the moments I was mentioning at the beginning of this post-by the way.  I checked the app on my phone and guess what?  Dinosaur was down.  I have lost track now with how many rides have been down for period of time this week.  The fast-pass line was getting crazy so we decided to switch our fast pass time for Everest and we to take one final ride on it.  I told Ethel to ride it like its the last time and she did.  She never put her hands down or stopped grinning.

We thought it would be fun to head to Epcot to close out Turkey Day ’14.  My parents took the girls to the gift shop and to find food.  The boss and I headed to World Showcase to visit some of the establishments we missed out on earlier in the week.  We got to the park around 7:15 and had a nice two hours strolling through the fairly empty park.  There was nothing new or exciting for us on this night.  Just spending some time was fun.  The two of us, in 20 years, have never strolled World Showcase at night.  We even stopped by the American Adventure to grab a quick bite to eat.  Gluten-free was no problem here either.  One bit of advice as two adults stroll the promenade.  Share the “experience”-it’ll save you money and ensure that you leave the park ambulatory.  As we departed this fine evening, the sound of “Illuminations” ushered us out.  Once arriving back at the room, our progenies displayed all of their wares for us.  Today really went by quickly.  Do all vacations speed up as the end draws near?

Observations today…

1.  Keep your children well-fed.  Sugar counts, just be sure they never crash.

2.  Expect things to break and be able to adapt quickly.

3.  You have to plan well-ahead.  Long gone are the days of showing up, grabbing a guide map, and deciding.

4.  Do the number of rude people really out number the polite ones?

5.  Take more pictures than you think you are taking.  Particularly of your family.

6.  Regarding number 5-sometimes though, put down the camera and experience the world through your eyes and not a view-finder.

It would be easier to leave the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks.  That event, however, is more than 12 hours away and many rides later.  November 26th dawned bright and beautiful here in Central Florida.  Not really, but in all of our minds the on/off mist that was falling was a respite from the floods of yesterday.  I think I know how Noah must have felt.  It was also easy to walk to the International Gateway from our hotel and the bag check line was non-existent so that was cool.  Our gang had only one ride in Epcot to get to and that was Test Track.  And it was fun to be free as we made our way from World Showcase to the far side of the park.  Even when we arrived at 9:10 the wait time was posted as 50 minutes, but the vast majority of this was inside and out of the weather.  This was a good thing because it gave the boss a chance for her feet to dry.  She wore wicker shoes.  I mean, who wears shoes made of wicker? Anyway-just as we reached the doors to design our car, the ride was temporarily shut down due to weather.  The delay was not huge and we were soon on our way designing our cars.  I was partnered with Ethel and her only desire was that the car be fast.  With that in mind we created a masterpiece that rated high on power and responsiveness but not so much on efficiency.  In fact our car was so good that we scored 211 points, only 9 off of the high score of the day.  Lucy, the Boss, and my dad did not score as good.

The wait for Mission Space was only 10 minutes so we went there and rode the green side.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the ride and within 90 minutes or so we had ridden our remaining rides in the park.  At the largest gift shop on property we spent a good 30 minutes looking at stuff.  Lots of stuff.  And buying stuff.  But not so much stuff.  I was proud of the restraint shown by my girls.  We went back to eat lunch at The Land and I was willing to kill for some veggie, veggie, fruit, fruit!  Instead, I landed on a cheese plate with grapes and a side of cucumber/tomato salad.  It was fine, nothing special though.  The girls seemed to enjoy theirs more today than earlier in the week so I consider the stop a win.  It was time to depart the park for a mid-day break before heading to the Magic Kingdom.  Along the way, we were greeted by blue sky!

Ethel really wanted to ride the monorail, so instead of walking 2 minutes to the bus stop at the hotel, we walked a mile back through Epcot and boarded there.  It was a pleasant walk underneath sunny skies and even gave us a chance to snap a picture or two.  The monorail arrived promptly and we were in the front car.  We heeded the advice of the disembodied voice and stood clear of the doors-por favor.  A quick train change at the TTC and we were at the Kingdom around 3:10.  As we emerged from underneath the train station, the parade was in full force.  We stopped and let the girls watch the show.  The floats were cool but unlike in my day-the song was forgettable.  I mean what I gotta do to get a catchy song nowadays?

We still had some time to kill before our fast pass so instead of taking the “quick” route up the street we ambled through the Emporium.  The wait for Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor was short so we hit that show.  I think it is one of the funnier shows on property.  It is corny but there are enough laughs that kids and parents all have fun, even if you are “that guy”.  This ride would make Walt happy I think.  The ride we fast-passed-Buzz Lightyear, not so much.  After the development of Toy Story Midway Mania, this area should be reimagined.  It is old and a bit uneventful.  With that said, wait times were high.  From there we took in the Carousel of Progress.  I believe that progress should be in quotes now though.  The last scene in the show takes place in the 1980s of the future.  At this point I was ready to be done with getting back in time and greet the world of tomorrow, from yesterday, or now.  I don’t even know anymore, I just know that now is the time, the best time to take in more attractions.

I’m not sure I have ever seen the Peoplemover with a wait like it had today.  But, no matter.  We had nowhere to be so we waited and rode.  My only regret is when our ride vehicle temporarily stopped it wasn’t in the Space Mountain portion.  I could’ve had a great nap.  From here, we used our next fast pass on Space Mountain.  I really feel like I did a good job with this whole fast pass planning thing.  We bypassed an hour long ride and had entered the queue, ridden the ride, and exited within 12 minutes.  Yay, me.

After the Splash Mountain debacle of the other day, we decided to go ride it.  There was no reasonable reason why the wait time was 5 minutes on the day before Thanksgiving other than the fact it was 50 degrees.  No matter, at least we got to experience the full attraction with no wait- #winning.  I had done some research and discovered that the Columbia Harbour House would be a good bet for dinner.  The polite cast member called over her supervisor who took my order and a short 20 minutes later, I was set.  My grilled salmon, broccoli (veggie, veggie), and fries were great.  I even splurged and got a side of mac and cheese.  Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal.

The boss mentioned earlier that we should ride the Tomorrowland Speedway or the Tea Cups.  Now, was the time.  How do you prefer your nausea?  The fumes from the exhaust of 250 million go-carts?  Perhaps, from vertigo induced by madly spinning over-sized tea cups?  The cars?  I suppose that is the least bad choice here.  Again, the wait time was not as bad as posted and we entered our race cars.  I rode with Lucy.  I told her to gun it.  She said “I am”.  We were passed by two turtles and a snail.  40 years ago, this might have been fun.  Maybe if the steering on the cars actually responded to the driver, it might still be rideable.  As it is now, we all agreed it was a pass.  The good that came from it is that Lucy said she never wanted her driver’s license.  Tea Cups ahoy!  We waited 5 minutes for this one and I decided to go all-in on the spinning.  This ride was the better of the two post-dinner rides and bought us some time before riding the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train.

Another long stand-by line bypassed and we were on.  Ok, I am not a large man by any stretch.  I am not that tall and my weight is proportionate to my height.  This ride vehicle though was stupid small.  Two fully grown adults might have trouble fitting in the same car.  I rode solo this time and it was a fun ride- a tad short, but fun.  My parents decided to call it a night and head on back.  They departed and we went to ride the new Little Mermaid ride in New Fantasyland with a posted 15 minute wait.  There was no wait.  The only wait was how long it took us to walk through the queue.  As for the ride-eh.  With no wait it was fine.  I had heard about this drink at Gaston’s Tavern called LeFou’s Brew.  It is an amalgamation of frozen apple juice infused with coconut topped with a passionfruit foam.  As AP Chemistry experiments go, it wasn’t half-bad.  At 4 bucks the price was fairly un-Disney.  Get one to split with your whole family.  A little goes a long way.  The time for the fireworks was coming on so we worked our way back to the front of the park.  I bought some popcorn and hot chocolate and we enjoyed the fireworks from the safety of the train station.  Had we been at the Hub, I may still be trying to exit the park.  The fireworks were neat and made better by our decision not to deal with the bus.  After almost losing Lucy on the crowded bus earlier in the week, I made an executive decision to walk to the Contemporary and cab back.  20 dollars well spent.  No lines, no waiting, just us and our memories of our day together.  Our day was capped off by a pleasant interaction with a nice young lady in the marketplace.  Our time here is beginning to draw down, but there is still much fun to be had.

Observations

1.  I have thrill-ride junkies for daughters.

2.  Ma’am, the housekeeping cart is not self-service.  I’m sure they will give you more washcloths if you ask.

3.  A soon to be 12 year old loves to take selfies.

4.  Yes, lady in Carousel of Progress, when I turn and look directly at you I mean for you to turn off your phone.  I hope the rest of your day was magical.

5.  There seem to be more surly cast members than in the past.  There are great ones but they all seem exhausted.

6.  For theme park food, it hasn’t been bad.

7.  My girls are cool and make me smile.

I hope.  Because today it rained buckets.  I mean it really, really rained hard.  I have never had to swim when exiting an attraction before, but there must be a first time for everything.  The day started off innocently enough.  The weather forecast did warn us of the impending flood so we were prepared (or so we thought).  When we set off for the Hollywood Studios this morning evidence of previous wet weather was abundant but we made it to the Studios after a brisk walk with only a peppering of rain.  Ethel and I split from the group to use the facilities with the agreement that we would reconvene just inside the gate.  Good thought, except now the rain was coming down harder-no problem zip up the coats and put on your hood.  Now we are in good shape.  Mind you, I’ve spent lots of time in Florida.  I have seen Florida rain.  I have swept Main Street in Florida rain wearing white shorts and a white shirt (settle down ladies).  But this, this was biblical.  We wove our way through the shops to avoid as much rain as possible but as we made the turn towards Rock n Roller Coaster, there was no way to avoid the deluge.  So we soldiered on hoping for a moderate wait at the ride.  My eyes must have water in them, because this can’t be the line at 9:10-a 50 minute wait, with 15 minutes being in the downpour?  Ok, let’s wait and hope we make our fast-pass window for the Tower of Terror that closes at 10:05.

We prepped the girls on the strategy for after exiting the ride.  We would enjoy our limo ride to the Aerosmith concert and then we would walk with a quickness to meet Nana at the next ride.  I am fairly sure-footed.  If there is a puddle or some obstacle in my way I am usually adept at avoiding the problem.  Not today.  Upon exiting the gift shop we were greeted by a wall of water unseen since the Israelites were running from the Egyptians.  Unfortunately for us, Moses was not there to part the seas so we all decided to take the plunge, literally.  The drainage system was completely overwhelmed and the water had reached depths that once entered reached mid-way up our legs.  I am glad that our children are older and taller lest we may have lost one in the Thanksgiving week flood of ’14.  With nary a minute to spare we did reach the Hollywood Tower and entered the fast-pass queue.

A great benefit of technology is the ability to check wait times on the app the mouse so graciously provides those who spend their money, I mean time with him.  Another benefit is that when severe weather is around we receive alerts.  I need to clarify that when I say we, I mean to say the entire line of people in the basement of the ride received an alert.  Beeps and buzzes were sounding loudly and very few people appeared at all concerned.  It was probably for the best.  Had we known that there was a tornado warning in effect I most likely would not have boarded the tallest ride on property.  With that said we all enjoyed the ride and I think there may have been an extra drop added in.  It was either that or our return from Oz.  I’m still not sure.

Outside the rain continued to fall in sheets.  It was all kinds of rain.  Big fat rain, little bitty stinging rain, it rained from the side, it even rained from below.  But onward we trod toward our next attraction- Toy Story Midway Mania!  Oh?  Closed due to flooding?  It may open back up?  No, the moose out front did not tell me.  Well family, let’s find something  else to do.  Let’s go see the movie in One Man’s Dream.  We took in the exhibit part the day before, so now we’ll check out the film.  After the movie, it still rains.  So we decided at this point to grab some lunch and get ready for our next experience- Frozen Sing-Along!

We ducked into the ABC Commissary for lunch.  I was craving a cheeseburger and fries and I read that this place was gluten safe for me.  They do have a dedicated fryer and gluten free buns.  The only downside is that my burger was just that-a slab of beef on a bun with no accompaniments or cheese.  But the fries were good and I avoided gluten gut again, so that is a win.  From there we forged through river and stream to the Frozen gig.  What’s that Frozen lady?  You are closed due to weather too?  Has all of this rain melted Arendelle and rendered Elsa’s powers useless?  Don’t tell me I just stepped in Olaf!?!?  Jeez.  At this point they might as well just close Florida.  The nice lady cast member did tell us that we could wait and use our fast-pass if the show opened back or at any ride at the Studios.  Lucy and Ethel both voted for another ride to the Aerosmith show.  On our way there, Toy Story had opened so before the flood closed it again, we rode it.  It was fun.  I think that the midway games are fun and I also like that you compete against all in your ride vehicle for top score.  I had a fairly good performance, destroying all those in my vehicle by scoring 161,800 points. Lucy pointed out that her accuracy was higher than mine.  I pointed out that that score is not the one on the board, so deal with that little girl.  We went and rode the roller coaster one more time, hit some shops and walked back in the light drizzle that continued to fall.  We got an email alert about our fast-pass at this point telling us what rides we could go on for the Frozen debacle.  Rock n Roller Coaster was not one of them.

After a nice break and an attempt to avoid trench foot we sauntered over to World Showcase to see a few movies/shows.  The Boss wanted to see the Voices of Liberty before we watched the American Adventure and we did.  Ethel informed us she was hungry so we ducked into Japan for some teriyaki chicken and sushi.  The Boss had a beer and I had a sake.  I always want to say “sake it to me baby, yeah” but I never do.  Maybe one day.  We all walked through the Morocco pavilion and on to France.  The rain had held off for a bit, but now it started to fall once more.  We checked out Impressions de France.  I was impressed to say the least.  I also think maybe it is time to update the movie, unless the French still dress like it is 1982.  The boss and I enjoyed a decent glass of wine from the shop and the girls headed back to the Beach Club with my parental units to play in the arcade and have ice cream.  The boss and I tried to find food, but ended up with popcorn from Canada (imported)!  As we headed back we caught another set from the British Revolution.  The rain was starting to pick up and as we reached the safety of our resort, thunder and lightening filled the sky and children filled the pool.  It was a fun and damp day.  We are hoping for sun to return tomorrow, at least after the flood warning expires at noon.

Observations

1.  They tried to keep all slick surfaces as safe a possible.

2.  Missing a tier 2 fast-pass doesn’t get you into a tier 1 attraction.  Unless you are us, and lucky.

3.  Aim for the high score targets on Toy Story.  You might have a lower accuracy score, but you will crush the small children in your ride vehicle.

4.  I think Walt Disney would be sad at what his world is becoming-outdated and unconcerned with the guest.

5.  The American Adventure screams jingoism, but hey we’re not number 1 for nuthin’.

6.  British Revolution guys-stay in character when on-stage.  At least fake a British accent.

7.  Surprising, the French cast members were the nicest today.  Not the Canadians.

8.  So I can’t take a drink within 4 feet of the pool, but you’ll let people be in the pool during a thunderstorm?  Makes perfect sense.

Seriously Disney, do you?  Let me explain, never mind-there is too much.  Let me sum up.  Crowded buses, crowded parks, strollers, bad show, beards on cast members?!??!?  This is not MY Magic Kingdom.  On the 24th our little intrepid band of merry-makers decided on the spur of the moment (2 months ago when it was time to select fast-passes) to go to the Magic Kingdom.  Now, having worked here, I knew that Mondays are crowded.  I knew this.  But this, this was out of control.  It started at the bus.  When taking Disney transit, you come to expect some crowded conditions.  On this sardine can of a bus, I was hanging on by my fingernails to “stay behind the yellow line” and Lucy was almost down for the count.  But hey-we made it in time to try and make rope-drop.  And the strategy of getting there early would have worked except for the other 8.5 million people with the same idea.

I figured, eh, we’ll get in and the crowds will thin a bit as folks head their own way.  And for about the first hour it was thus.  We went directly to Peter Pan’s Flight and had a 15 minute wait.  No big deal.  After that attraction, we went to ride the happiest cruise that ever sailed.  Yep, it truly is a small world after all.  I thought-now we’ll go ride the Haunted Mansion.  I mean, we are on this side of Fantasyland so what a great idea.  Except it was closed for some reason.  Bad show #1.  Ok, adapt and overcome, we are on vacation.  Alright gang, let’s go see Mickey’s Philharmagic.  No wait so that  was great.  So in the first hour or so of our day we hit three attractions.  By this point the Mansion was opened back up.  Ethel was a tad nervous about the ride, but at the end she admitted that it was good.  A quick check of the “My Disney Experience” app showed that wait times were now really starting to creep up and we were closing in on our fast-pass times.  The boss and I thought a trip to Adventureland would be a good way to get to then.  The Christmas-themed “Jingle Cruise” was fine-even with a 40 minute wait.  I’m glad we went when we did.  Shortly after we exited the ride, the wait time jumped to 80 minutes.  Swiss Family Tree House?  Sure.  Um, sir?  Would you please extinguish your cigarette in the attraction?  Hey, same guy?  Maybe put down the phone and stop the convo while in the attraction?  No?  Ok.  I’ll adapt and overcome your selfishness.

Our little group thought that we might should eat before delving in to our 3 fast-passes.  And it would have been marvelous except the line was about 2.5 million people deep.  The others were in line for the three open rides.  We did manage to get food in Lucy, Ethel, and the old man which was really the goal.  At this point we headed to Splash Mountain to try and find our laughin’ place.  We by-passed an 80 minute wait with this fast-pass and boarded and things were going along swimmingly.  Then, just before the last drop the music stopped and the house lights came up.  Uh-oh, not good.  We did get to do the final drop and finish the ride while the boss and I provided the soundtrack for our log.  At the exit, we were quickly and with no explanation or apologies, ushered out of the attraction and (gasp) the gift shop!  We never did find out what happened, but I considered our crew lucky to have even gotten to ride.  I feel for those that waited and lost more than of an hour of their day only to miss the ride.  Bad show Disney.  Hey-isn’t that the wildest ride in the wilderness just next door?

This time we by-passed a 70 minute wait and were on the train in no time.  I got to ride this attraction with Ethel and we secured the front train car.  By the time the day was over, she proclaimed this to be the highlight of her day.  And, to be truthful, it was fun.  With some time to kill the boss took Ethel to ride Aladdin’s Carpets (you know, Dumbo, but with carpets.  Way to be original Imagineers).  I walked around some of the shops in Adventureland with Lucy while my parents rested.  For our last fast-pass of the day we hopped on Pirates of the Caribbean.  Um, ma’am posting on Facebook in the middle of the ride?  Please stop.  Oh, you’re not posting just checking your feed.  That is more important than being in the moment with your child.  Um, grandma with the same family?  You must of have understood no flash photography to mean everyone but you.  It’s ok, I didn’t need to see the last scene of the ride.  Anyway one of the cast members left a door to backstage open in the middle of the ride, so-bad show Disney.  It might sound as if our day in the Magic Kingdom was less than magical and for me it was.  For Lucy and Ethel (particularly Ethel) it was fun and that is all that matters.

We came back to the hotel and took advantage of a quite wonderful pool here at the Beach Club.  My mom initially took the girls down while the boss and I grabbed a bite to eat.   I think it was good we got to the pool when we did.  Nana looked like she had a hard time keeping up with two high energy children.  The boss and I took over and enjoyed some time with the girls in the water and took a bit of weight off of our legs.  The only drawback to the pool, and it is minor, is that to access the poolside bar, one has to exit the pool area.  Not a big deal, just something to know.  We had no real plans for the evening so we decided to head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

My dad, Lucy, and I decided to take the canal-side walking path while the others took the boat.  We got their way before them.  Again, we had no real plans so we took in “One Man’s Dream” to try and show the girls a bit about where all of this came from. Then on the way to “Muppetvision 3-D”, we swung by the Christmas light show.  This was admittedly cool.  The “snow” that falls is a nice touch and quite honestly the only way I want to see snow-80 degrees and pretend.  From there we ducked into Pizza Planet to grab dinner.  I was elated when the cashier knew exactly what to do and called the manager over.  I placed my order directly with her and 15 minutes later I had a piping hot fresh made veggie pizza.  I destroyed it.  It was ugly.  Wait times for the main rides were a bit on the high side so it seemed like the “Great Movie Ride” would work..  We headed right on and were led on our tour of the movies by a young college programmer.  The ride has not changed in 20 years.  Except for the fact that the trams are getting old and not running properly, including the integral to this show-microphone.  Our guide did the best she could and we acknowledged her efforts with vigorous applause.  Hey-let’s hit a few of these shops on the way out.  Yes Ethel, you can have the marshmallow Olaf.  Yes, Lucy, you can have the sugar covered caramel apple.  We’re on vacation.

Observations.

1.  Hey Disney, at peak times run a couple of more buses.

2.  Also, with all of the technology today, could you not have message boards at each bus stop to give us an approximate arrival time of the next bus?  Is it imminent or will the second-coming occur first?

3.  Strollers, stroller parking, electric scooters, and wheelchairs are the bane of my existence at the Magic Kingdom.

4.  I have seen more examples of bad show in one day than in my entire college program experience.

5.  The pool here is neat.

6.  Walking to the studios is nice.

7.  My children are still having fun and still growing up too fast.

Where to begin?  I suppose that the easiest thing to do would be to start at the beginning.  Several months ago, we were all asked if we’d like to go to Disney World.  Those of you who know my family know of my time spent working for the mouse as well as many trips taken to the World by Boss and me as kids.  We’ve even taken our small crew a couple of times, so there was no real burning desire to return.  My mom, however, has been planning this trip at least since Ethel was born, possibly longer.  We could stall no longer.  With a full tank of gas, a full trunk, and a hopeful spirit we left on Friday the 21st of November for the happiest place on earth.

Our travels on Friday through the “great” state of South Carolina were uneventful and that evening we called it a day in Kingsland, Georgia.  On the road bright and early and dealing with two wrecks on I-4 we finally made it to the hotel around 11:30 or so on Saturday.  This time, our family decided to splurge and stay at the Beach Club Resort near EPCOT.  I was looking forward to this as I’ve never stayed in a deluxe category hotel on property before.  We settled in, explored our environs, and then got ready for dinner.  We were hoping to use the pool, but the weather today was not lending itself for such endeavors.  I had made reservations for the girls and my parents at the Beaches and Cream Soda Shop for dinner- so at this point I can’t weigh in on what they did. As for the boss and myself, we headed towards the Contemporary Resort.  We went up to the top and had drinks at the California Grill and took in the sights before heading to dinner at Narcoosee’s located in the Grand Floridian.

Again, this was a first as I have never eaten in a signature restaurant here at Disney World.  The meal was quite tasty.  The chef came out to the table and I was provided a special menu highlighting items that were of no risk to me.  I had the first order of fried calamari I have had in two years and they were great.  They were breaded in corn meal and the kitchen uses a dedicated fryer so no cross-contaminiation issues.  The boss had the PEI Mussels and they too were fantastic.  One of the highlights was the gluten free bread they brought out.  Refills of this bread were definitely required.  My main dish was a local fish over a root-vegetable base.  Oh, my.  That means it was was real good.  The boss had a shrimp dish with brown rice pasta.  Also, tasty.  For dessert, I went with the chocolate coconut creme brûlée.  It had the taste and the consistency of a melted mounds bar and was a fantastic way to end the meal.  Our service was wonderful, the food and wine great, and our view of the castle changing colors in the night was magical (did I say that?).

I woke up on Sunday the 23rd a tad on the excited side.  See, it’s my birthday-hence the title for this entry.  Not only a nod to my birthday but to the old song that brought you home on Spaceship Earth.  The song is now relegated to history and memories.  Fortunately, I am very much alive!  We had made plans to spend our morning in the Animal Kingdom and I had made breakfast reservations for 8:10 at the Tusker House Restaurant.  The plan was to eat and try to ride the safari before the park got too crowded.  Last week, Disney backed up the opening hour to 8 and added an extra magic hour.  For us that meant the park opened at 7.  So, at 6:30 we were on the bus heading that way.  At 7 we were through the turnstiles heading towards Expedition Everest.  Ethel had a little apprehension about the ride, but about 10 seconds in she was proclaiming loudly that “this is awesome!”  By the time we exited we took our time walking through a fairly empty park to our breakfast.  Again, the chef came out and walked me around high-lighting items I could eat.  I am pleased to report that no sickness is to be reported.  Our service was suspect however.  A few hours later I went back to mention this, just because as a former cast member I have certain expectations.  I explained my concerns to him, told him I didn’t want anything for this, but still got a fast-pass for the family.  We used it on everest later and considered it a bonus.  After breakfast we rode the safari and saw tons of animals, took in the lion king show, and before leaving the park rode the rapids.  My mom and the boss bore the brunt of this ride and got soaked.  The rest of us were either damp or completely dry.

At this point it was time to head back and take a rest.  All of us managed to get an hour or so of rest and then we had birthday cake, I got some presents, and when we returned from the park there were balloons and a mickey waiting for me.  My whole family worked hard to make my birthday special and for that I am grateful.  Our evening plans took us to EPCOT.  One of the great benefits of staying at this location is we are able to walk to EPCOT in about 5 minutes.  We entered at the International Gateway and were greeted by the sounds of the British Revolution playing some tunes.  We stopped and I listened for a bit and then we walked towards The Land to use our Soarin’ fast-pass.  Before this, we rode Living with the Land to learn about food production-again.  Sadly, the “Listen to the Land” song is also long gone.  The stand-by line for Soarin’ was 90 minutes and I am glad we didn’t have to wait.  It is a neat ride, but not worth that time investment in my opinion.  From there we went to The Seas and rode The Seas with Nemo before taking in Turtle Talk with Crush.  Spaceship Earth was next.  I miss the old narration with Walter Cronkite and the song.  This is truly not the Disney of my youth.  As our evening was drawing to a close, we hit a few countries on the way out.  We rode the ride in Mexico (and had a margarita), stopped for shave ice in Japan, and grabbed some pastries in France for the morning.  All in all, not a bad way to spend a birthday.

A few observations about my time here so far…

1.  Thank you Georgia and Florida for recognizing that there is heavy traffic on I-95 and creating roads to handle it.  North Carolina and South Carolina-wake up.

2.  Traffic in Orlando, particularly near the attractions is atrocious.

3.  Deluxe resorts are nice.

4.  Narcoosee’s is good.

5.  The Animal Kingdom is rapidly becoming my favorite park.

6.  You gotta fight to get your gluten-free on-sometimes.

Photos to come…